Lawmakers, others have mixed reaction to EPA's PFAS action plan

Thursday

Feb 14, 2019 at 2:02 PMFeb 14, 2019 at 2:02 PM

Lawmakers said Thursday's action was a start, but more action was needed.

Reviews of the EPA's Action Plan following Thursday's meeting were mixed.

State Rep. Todd Stephens, R-151, of Horsham, said he was able to meet privately with acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and highlighted ongoing issues with contaminated stormwater leaving the former NASJRB Willow Grove. Stephens said Wheeler told him the discharge should be regularly monitored, and would look into the matter.

But Stephens also expressed frustration at the EPA's pace in addressing PFAS, saying his constituents still have concerns about the quality of their water, and in the case of Horsham, surcharges on their water bills to remove the chemicals.

“I'm glad that the EPA is finally recognizing that they need to do more to protect the American people. It remains to be seen what exactly they're going to do, and more importantly how long it's going to take them,” Stephens said.

U.S. Rep Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1, of Middletown, is co-chair of a recently formed congressional PFAS Task Force. He and fellow co-chair Dan Kildee, D-Michigan, issued a joint statement with cautious support for the EPA.

“PFAS chemical contamination is a public health crisis and the EPA must act with an urgency that matches the scale of the problem. While today’s announcement is a start, further aggressive and impactful actions must be taken by the Administration to protect Americans’ communities,” the statement read.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, has also been involved on PFAS issues, and said in a statement Thursday he was optimistic the EPA had laid out an action plan on potential drinking water regulations, cleanup recommendations and new research.

But he added that he has “watched this Administration and the one before it be all talk and no execution” since he first became involved in 2016.

“I intend to hold the EPA accountable for the promises they made today in righting this wrong for communities in Pennsylvania and across the nation,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Allentown, called the announcement "an important step forward."

“It is also encouraging that this plan includes a timeline for next steps that are legally required for the EPA to set an enforceable drinking water standard," he said.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-2, of Philadelphia, said he was “frustrated by the EPA's lack of urgency,” and would seek to set a drinking water standard through legislation.

Tracy Carluccio, deputy director of the environmental nonprofit Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said it was “wrong and unacceptable that EPA is procrastinating,” and called for state regulators to take more action.

The National Ground Water Association, a trade association, struck a more positive tone, saying in a statement it was “encouraged” by the action plan. But the group said it also wanted to see a drinking water standard and hazardous materials listing.

“Without the cradle-to-grave framework of federal environmental regulations, states have stepped in to protect residents from PFAS,” said the association's Seth Kellogg. “However, this places the full financial burden of PFAS remediation on water customers and leaves private well owners to independently test and treat their water.”

State Sen. Maria Collett, D-12, Lower Gwynedd, said she would continue moving forward with legislation to list PFAS as hazardous substances, "given the uncertainty of the federal timeline."

“It is good to see the EPA finally acknowledging the urgency and pervasiveness of this crisis and making addressing PFAS contamination a top priority," she said in a statement. "I commend them for moving toward a national MCL standard, classifying PFAS under the Superfund Cleanup Program, and expanding research efforts into the health effects of these dangerous chemicals.”

State Rep. Todd Polinchock, R-144, Chalfont, also called for state action.

“The EPA PFAS Action Plan has many good goals, like listing PFAS as a hazardous chemical," he said in a statement. "But many of the actions outlined have already been taken by our communities, and those communities must be compensated by the federal government for their negligence in allowing PFAS-laced runoff from escaping their military facilities and contaminating the water. Also, by the time the EPA decides what a safe PFAS level is, many more people will be in danger of drinking contaminated water. That’s why we in the Legislature must act on our own to set lower allowable levels of PFAS in our drinking water.”

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